A competitive edge can be gained at every step of the manufacturing process, from the ingredients you source to the equipment you use. Installing an effective blender that has the capability to deliver high quality powder mixes is one part of the puzzle.
Your industrial mixer needs to be able to step up to the challenge without compromising efficiency or product quality. We take a look at high-shear blades and how, when added to a tumble blender, they add another string to your manufacturing bow.
How Tumble Blending Works
Tumble blenders revolve on a horizontal axis to combine product by tumbling the ingredients to form a homogenous mix.
Generally operating at around 5 to 25 revolutions per minute, tumble blenders are well
suited to blending powders, fragile solids and abrasive materials and they're also
good for combining ingredients that vary significantly in size and density.
The gentle action of a tumble blender competently handles materials that are particularly
friable or prone to breaking up. It's common for tumble blending to be used when
incorporating trace components (that equate to less than one percent of the mix) thanks to
their ability to distribute materials evenly. To find out more about blending and how to overcome the commons problems associated with powder mixing visit our blending resource page.
The High Shear Solution to Tumble Blending's Sticking Points
The strengths of the tumble blender are clear when combining solids. But what happens when you want to add liquid to the mix? Or you want to work with sticky or tacky solids, or paste-like materials? Such ingredients need to be treated differently to ensure a lump-free blend that gentle mixing can't guarantee.
Traditionally, tumble blenders were not considered to be very versatile in these situations. But for most manufacturers, buying a different kind of blending solution is neither cost nor space-effective. However, there is an alternative.
By equipping the Matcon tumble blender with a high-speed intensifier bar, we are able to offer the best of both worlds. Manufacturers can choose to use their tumble blender in the traditional way or they can attach the high shear blades to blend fluid additions or agglomerated powders to form a flawless end product. For more information on tumble blending read our previous blog.
Having the option to apply more intense shear also gives you the potential to shorten mixing cycles, enhancing efficiency across the manufacturing process. In fact, some bakery mixes can be made in a single stage process, vastly improving capability.
High Shear Plus Intermediate Bulk Containers Improves Efficiency
Even when combining high shear capabilities with a tumble blender you still have the ability to save time when it comes to clean downs. Both the IBC and the 'blade bar' from the mixing vessel, are cleaned offline which reduces the time it takes for your tumble blender to get back into active service once more. Simply have a second intensifier so that one is used in production, whilst one is in cleaning.
If you want to get ahead of your competitors, look for technology that's easy to install and
remove, offers offline cleaning and keeps ingredients contained. Take a look at the industrial mixer options available to you and with the correct choice of equipment, you could experience faster, leaner and cleaner production.
